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Ashes of 2-Year-Old Girl Stolen From San Jose Cemetery

Mother pleads for the return of an urn containing the girl's remains and a gold cylinder holding locks of her hair

Police are investigating a heart-wrenching crime in the South Bay in which the ashes of a 2-year-old girl were stolen from a cemetery.

The ashes of Kelly Lopez were taken from Calvary Catholic Cemetery off Capitol and Madden in San Jose, California, and the family is pleading with the suspect to return them.

Kelly battled cancer late in her short life and died four years ago. Her mother, Marcela Lopez, kept her ashes in an urn in a mausoleum at Calvary Catholic, decorated with small characters she loved.

The urn was inside one of the buildings on site; it was taken along with another precious item: a golden cylinder that contained locks of her hair.

"I want her ashes." Lopez said. "I don’t know what anyone can do with them."

Lopez can barely sleep. She and her best friend, Maria Saldana, have visited the cemetery often since the theft occurred, hoping to find clues.

"We are so sad for this," Saldana said. "It's sick, and maybe they don't have a heart. It's really hard."

Police believe the thieves may have thought the items were valuable, and they're are asking for the public's help in finding those responsible.

"It means a lot to them, so if somebody has some information that leads to the arrest or location of this urn, there could possibly be a reward," San Jose police Sgt. Christian Camarillo said. "The information can be completely anonymous."

The family thinks the theft may have happened as early as Tuesday. Lopez just wants the remains of her little girl back where they belong.

"That’s all I ask," she said. "So I can see her and visit her again like I used to."

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